| Latin Name | Observation date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Eudocima tyrannus | January 12 2025 | Buket Alue Puteh, Aceh, Indonesia |
Eudocima tyrannus is a species of caterpillar that is known to attract a lot of attention from researchers and insect lovers because of its unique role in the ecosystem. This caterpillar comes from the noctuidae family and is also a group of night butterflies or moths that have a complex and interesting life cycle. This caterpillar is not only known for its very distinctive shape and color, but Eudocima tyrannus also has a significant influence on the plants which are its main food source.
Eudocima tyrannus caterpillars have varying body colors ranging from black, dark brown and white with subtle patterns along their bodies that help them camouflage among the leaves. The size of these caterpillars also varies from small to large reaching several centimeters depending on age and stage of development, one of the characteristic features of this caterpillar is its ability to adopt a defensive posture by arching its body when it feels threatened and this is very effective in providing additional protection from predator attacks.
when transitioning into an adult moth Eudocima tyrannus shows a dramatic change in appearance, later this moth will have a wide shape with a dark brown color and distinctive pattern, and this body color really allows them to blend in with the surrounding environment while resting during the day, the moth only active at night to look for nectar from various types of flowers as their food source, although in the larval stage Eudocima tyrannus is better known because it consumes various types of young leaves.
Even though these beautiful caterpillars are often considered pests, Eudocima tyrannus plays an important role in natural ecosystems, they help maintain the balance of certain plant populations by regulating the amount of leaves they consume. Apart from that, when Eudocima tyrannus has become an adult moth they also act as pollinators in some types of plants when they visit flowers to suck nectar at night.
as part of life in tropical forests, the presence of Eudocima tyrannus caterpillars really supports the survival of natural predator species that depend on them as a source of food, interactions also tell us all about how each organism is considered a pest, but in fact they have a very important role in maintain ecological balance.
Eudocima tyrannus caterpillars
Eudocima tyrannus caterpillars
Eudocima tyrannus caterpillars
Eudocima tyrannus caterpillars
Eudocima tyrannus caterpillars
Eudocima tyrannus caterpillars
Eudocima tyrannus caterpillars
Eudocima tyrannus caterpillars
Eudocima tyrannus caterpillars
| Camera used | smartphone |
|---|---|
| Lens | - |
| Photography | Eudocima tyrannus |
| Location | Buket Alue Puteh |
| Photographer | @lightofhope |
| Link to original | community |
|---|---|
| Link | https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/258293358 |
| Latitude Longitude | Map | |
|---|---|---|
| =5.080479 | =97.46383 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=5.0804793232&mlon=97.4638302997 |
